How to Make Bookatrix Cards

Jill Davis

Bookatrix cards are made by embossing card stock with designs and letters, using a board with many different types of guidelines and grid lines, with one side of the board resembling the outline of a book's pages. By layering and decorating different sizes of these embossed cards, you can create not just a card, but a keepsake. The recipient of one of these works of art will know the time and effort that went into crafting it. They are perfect to make for any occasion: new baby, wedding, birthday, anniversary and even a sympathy situation. With a Bookatrix embossing board and a few supplies, you can make your own beautiful cards.

Lay a piece of thick card stock face down on the board. Butt it against the top corner.

Rub the dryer sheet onto the side of the card facing you. (This is the wrong side of the paper.) The sheet makes the card slippery and easier to emboss.

Push the embossing tool firmly onto the paper, starting in the leading channel which is on the top left. Pull the tool towards you. The channel will go straight and then change direction. Feel the new direction of the channel and continue going all around until you have completed the whole shape. You should also have a crease down the centre of the page. Lift the card and cut around outside of the embossed line.

Lay the vellum face down on the bookatrix board. Rub with the dryer sheet and emboss in the same way, using the second book page size channel. Cut around the outer edge of the vellum.

Emboss two more pieces of card stock and/or vellum in the same way, using the smaller channels for the two remaining pages. The final, smallest layer will become the page of the book to which you can add your own personalised greeting.

Roll the side of each paper over a rolling pin to give a rounded effect like a real book.

Use peel-offs around the edges of the pages to add design and colour.

Glue each layer to the spine of the layer below it. Place foam pads on the underside of the pages to raise them up from each other.

Decorate as you like. Place ribbon, flowers or decorations down the spine or on one side of the card. Attach with glue or double-sided tape. Use sticker letters to add a greeting or sentiment. A sentiment can also be printed out on the computer and glued to the inside of the card.

The card can be displayed flat on a table or placed on an easel for great visual impact.

Tip

You can make your Bookatrix with fewer than four pages if you want a quicker or less complex design. Decorative or pattern edged scissors add interest when you are cutting out your pages.

Resources

About the Author

Jill Davis started writing professionally in 2006. She has had articles published in "Yogi Times" and "Orange Pealings" magazines. Davis received a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from California State University, Long Beach.